The Old Man and the Lizard
by TheFriendZone
Summary: Robin was an aged, alcoholic tactician. A head of gray hairs, and a liver like a cooked goose. He was surrounded by eccentrics and would-be-assassins. Days were filled with coming up with plans to kill people. None of that called for a dragon that looked like a little girl. Especially when said dragon wants him to play house all the time and refused to leave him alone.
1. Chapter 1

His head pounded like a drum with an angry monkey holding the sticks. Sand filled his throat as he rubbed his eyes. The lids stuck to the eyeballs, making him feel like a million times more like a pile of shit. When he finally pulled his eyes open, his vision was assaulted by the glow of the sun cutting into his tent through the partially open flap. Eels slithered in his guts, shortening his throat. He couldn't help but vomit onto the ground in his tent, no cover between his stuff and the grass. The stench of bile and wine made him gag, but his stomach refused to offer anything else to purge from his system.

" _Gods..._ " he thought, clutching the half drunk bottle that rolled its way to him. He took a long drink, feeling the wine in the bottle chase away the pain of his sobriety. The bottle ran empty, booze no longer flowing into his system. He wiped the scruffy, graying black beard on his face. It was by no means as long as a mountain man's, reaching far past his chin and tickling his toes. His beard was just an extra patch of hair that never even reached his neck.

"Oooooooh Rooooobiiiiin~!" a sing-songy voice called to him. A young woman spoke to Robin from outside the tent, out of his sight. He guessed that she was blonde, had pig-tails, and more than likely a death wish considering that she was keeping him from sleeping off the agony of the morning.

Robin sat up on his sleep mat, a destroyed pile of cloth and hay that barely lifted off the ground. He scanned the inside of his tent, seeing nothing but grass, bottles, his sword, and a few books he had lying around. He held a hand up, trying to cover the light bleeding into his tent and making his hangover more painful than it needed to be.

"What do you want...?" he groaned, rubbing his withered face. As the days went on, he noticed far too many wrinkles and crow's feet than he wanted, which was only emphasized due to how many young people he was surrounded with. The kicks to his liver weren't doing him any favors either.

"Chrom wants you up and ready before noon, _grandpa_ ," the woman teased, snickering making its way to Robin's ears.

"Lissa, what'd I say about making jokes like that?" Robin barked, forcing himself to his feet. That sharp pinch in his back brought a red tint to his face. He muttered curses at Lissa for the age crack, mainly because she was right.

"That if I keep poking fun at you, you'll spank my behind red," Lissa said, her tone cheery and playful. "But guess what? Haven't done it yet!"

"Don't push me," Robin growled, wrapping his deep purple cloak around himself. He retrieved his sword and a spell-book that he had lying around in the pile of texts he had scattered about. Another wine bottle tapped his foot, his eyes darting to the long, green bottle. Sadly, it was bone dry; not even a drop remained.

"Oh, by the way," Lissa said, poking her head through the tent flaps. It was just as Robin thought. She was blonde, _chipper_ (his polite word for annoying), and pretty. While Robin had scars and wrinkles, she had a face that rivaled a doll's. Not a single blemish ruined her image. "Nowi's trying to find you. Been calling your name all day."

"Seriously?" Robin asked, brow raised. His head pounded. Throat tightened once again. He wanted to sigh, or at the very least grunt, but his stomach decided to spin in his stomach and send bile to his esophagus. The purple-garbed man spun away from Lissa, vomiting in another corner of the tent. The young woman's face went green, pulling out of the tent as fast as she could. Robin wiped his mouth after he was finished.

"You okay...?" Lissa gagged out herself. Her head whirled a mile a minute as she tried to keep the floodgates closed. Her small, feminine hands clasped her mouth shut.

"Yeah," Robin assured her, walking out of the tent to meet her. Other soldiers emerging from their own tents sneered at the sight, and the smell. Robin spat in their directions. They were surrounded by tents and troops. They couldn't walk two paces without bumping into one of them. The sky was clear and bright, Ylissean summer in full force. A nice humid heat kept them warm, but not simmering like pigs. "Just had a little too much last night."

"Right..." Lissa said, forcing her own vomit back down her throat. She looked at Robin, face contorted into a small frown.

"But what did Nowi want?" Robin asked, moving the topic before Lissa had any ideas for a lecture.

"Oh!" Lissa chirped, face jumping into a smile. Her bright yellow dress glowed along with her attitude, blinding Robin. "I almost forgot. She said she wanted to you to play with her later."

"What the hell is wrong with that girl...?" Robin hissed, rubbing his eyes once again. That red tint came back to his face at the thought of that small... well, not exactly _child_ constantly asking him to play games with her was humiliating. "She acts like I'm some sort of doll she can play house with all the time."

"I think it's sweet~," Lissa said, one of her hands cupping her cheek. "She wants a _grandpa_."

"Lissa!" Robin shouted, his tone proving he was beyond tolerating the blonde's jokes. "I'm serious! One more 'grandpa' joke, and I'll beat you bloody!"

"You wouldn't do that," Lissa argued, face a teasing smirk. "For one, you like me too much to hurt me. And two, your back won't let you."

"I said-!" a loud crack stopped Robin short, hands flying to his lower back. "FUCK!"

Lissa giggled as Robin hunched down, face twisted in pain. She handed him a small bag, barely bigger than his thumb. Robin sighed as he poured the contents into his other palm, a light green powder that he tossed into his mouth. The grains stuck to the roof of his mouth, causing him to choke. The stabbing in his spine faded as he stood taller.

"Come by my tent," Lissa said, giving him a wink. "That stuff's just a pain killer. See me and I can get that disk back in place."

"After I see Chrom," Robin clarified, stuffing the bag still half full of powder into his coat pocket.

"You definitely want to do it before night time," Lissa said, skipping away as Robin pulled a shiny metal flask from his cloak. "It only lasts for eight hours!"

" _Eight hours..._ " Robin thought, looking up to the sky. The sun was high in the air, not a cloud to interrupt it. He guessed it was around eleven in the morning, remembering that Chrom wanted him up before noon. So he had until seven to get to Lissa's for that fix.

His first few steps were hesitant, expecting another snap in his back. After he was sure that the pain powder took affect, his walk was more enjoyable. Robin scanned the camp around him, trying to spot the other Shepherds. None of the distinctive colors or personalities were standing out amidst the flood of average-faced, non-descriptive soldiers that faded into and out of Robin's vision like embers to a fire.

" _Least it's warm out,_ " his mind rationalized. Brow covered in sweat, pouring down his face. He stretched his arms wide, feeling every joint pop. A sweet soreness took over his body.

Robin marched his way through the soldiers, heat, and the dusty, dead grass. He spat particles from his mouth more often than he wanted, every few seconds filled with spits and hacks. Quick sips from the flask helped him, giving him relief from the dead earth. The Plegian landscape sucked, using less than polite words to describe it. It was hot, full of sand, and more often than not had someone trying to kill you at every corner.

"Roooobiiiiin~!"

Or had weirdos they meet in the middle of nowhere.

A small, colorfully dressed little girl ran through the soldiers, bumping her way to the man who covered his face with a hand. Her hair was a light green, flowing down past her shoulders and halfway past her back. She wore a dark purple cape, pair of gloves and boots, and a smile that never vanished. A light tune filled the air, the girl humming as she skipped into Robin's view. She continued her song, watching the older man turn away from her and walk away.

"Hey!" she whined, following behind the grumpy adult. Her cheeks puffed, offended at being ignored. "Why are you walking away?"

"I'm busy, kid," Robin said, keeping his view focused in front of him. He tried not to sound too frustrated, but more than enough venom leaked into his words. Nowi, the girl that had been hunting him down and had managed to find him, always gave him a migraine. Something about that child-like innocence made his head pound. "Ask, I don't know, Ricken to play with you."

"Ricken always wants to talk with Maribelle though," Nowi said, keeping up with Robin. Her arms were crossed as she walked, those long, knife-like ears drooping towards the ground.

"Then Miriel," Robin countered, wiping dust from his cloak. He reached for the flask in his jacket, taking another swig.

"Miriel's _boring_ ~!" Nowi argued.

"Vaike?"

"Him and Frederick are training."

"Stahl?"

"Eating fifth breakfast with Sully."

"Panne?"

"She said I'm not allowed within twenty feet of her, or she'd kill me."

"You pulled her ears again, didn't you?" Robin asked, stopping suddenly. His breaths were hard, chest aching. Robin refused to let that show to the creature in front of him, a scowl on his face. Nowi slid in front of him.

"They're so cute though!" Nowi said, stars in her eyes. Her arms were clutched against her torso, face bright red. Sand tickled her toes, making her giggle.

"Right," Robin said, pushing Nowi out of his way and wiping his brow. His steps burned the bottoms of his feet, making him hiss. Even with his thick, heavy leather boots his flesh roasted. Another swig from the flask. "I gotta talk with Chrom about the next battle. I don't have time to play 'Magic Dragon Princess' with you. Talk Donnel into it or something."

"We only played that once!" Nowi said, cheeks puffed once again. Her tiny hands were clenched into fists no bigger than pebbles. "And you never wanted to go along with it. You kept drinking, then you passed out before we even finished the wedding!"

"You told me to be myself," Robin shrugged, not looking at the girl. He saw the royal insignia of Chrom's tent, marking his destination. It was a large, dark blue design that matched the brand on his shoulder. Robin never knew how to describe it. It was some kind of circle or something, but that was as far he went before saying 'piss it' and thinking about something else. "I did the same thing during Lissa and Lon'qu's wedding."

"But you were supposed to be the groom," Nowi whined. She huffed as she too noticed the tent Robin walked towards. "Fine! Have your stupid boring meeting! But you better promise to play with me later."

"I gotta see Lissa later to fix up a disk in my back," Robin said, grabbing one of the flaps of Chrom's tent. "Gonna be busy for a while, kid."

"You're a jerk..." Nowi said, tears in her eyes. Her lower lip quivered. Small droplets fell onto the sand, boiling off and turning to steam as soon as they touched the Earth.

Robin watched Nowi sob, her face covered by her hands. His eyes drifted back to the tent. He closed his eyes, sighing as he knew he'd regret his next few words.

"Fine," Robin said, throwing his arms into the air. "When I get back from Lissa's, we'll play hide and seek or something."

"YAAAAY!" Nowi shrieked, her tiny voice driving Robin deaf. It was like two arrows tearing into his eardrums. His hands flew to his punished ears, desperate to stave off the agonizing cheer. As if that wasn't bad enough, Nowi threw her arms around Robin's torso, crushing his organs in that horrifying grip she had. Despite her small size, her hands could crush iron. She held the aged-man in her death-hug, bones popping and cracking as she screamed as loud as she could.

It was the longest ten seconds of Robin's life. By some miracle, he was released, his broken body crumpling to the ground. Sand stuck to his hair, itching his skull. Pain paralyzed him. Despite the strength of the powder Lissa gave him, Nowi's hug sent his brain into a panic; filled with a burning agony that focused on his spine. Robin heard Nowi run off, humming that same, stupid song she played earlier. She was completely unaware of the damage she dealt to Robin.

"You really are getting old, aren't you?" a blue-haired man asked as he stepped from his tent. He barely held back his chuckles as Robin tried to lift his hand, middle-finger standing proud while the other digits on his hand were clenched tight.

"That... _thing..._ isn't... human," Robin groaned out. He tried to retrieve his flask, it falling into the sand. He stared straight into the sky, the sun burning his retinas.

"No, she isn't," the bluenette said, offering a hand to Robin. He lifted his elder to his feet. Robin held a hand to his back, a scowl deep on his face.

"I'm gonna kill her," Robin said, eyes dark and filled with terrors. "I'm gonna knock her out; cover her in chicken fat; take her to the nearest swamp; _and toss her to the gators_!"

"She'd just cook them all and bring them back," the other man said, arms crossed. "You just need to play along with her. She'll get bored and leave you alone eventually. I think your resisting makes it more fun for her. Also, disturbingly specific for a hypothetical..."

"Hypothetical?" Robin asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Hav-Have you done that before...?" the other man asked, his eyes wide.

"Twice," Robin answered, holding up two fingers.

"Right..."

* * *

 _A/N_

So this is Dork with a new thing. I know, I know... I'm too sexy. It's a terrible curse.

But the idea of an aged Robin hit me one day, and I kept thinking about it. I liked the idea, so I ran with it. Especially if he and Nowi counter each other all the time.

Robin's personality is inspired by Malory Archer from Archer and Max Payne from... Max Payne. So a self-loathing, bitter Robin that drinks a lot is on the horizon. I thought it would be funny if he were like that since it would contrast with Nowi's kiddy personality.

And the reason I picked Nowi is because she's barely ever used in fics. It's always Lucina, Cordelia, Chrom, or Frederick. I try to go with the path less traveled.

...

I'M NOT A HIPSTER, SHUT UP!

Don't really expect too much of a plot. It's a lot like Greed's a Pain or Chained No More. A lot more like a series of one-shots with a loose connection, or maybe an arc between them.

This is gonna be fun...

Until Next Time!


	2. Chapter 2

The tent was far more luxurious than Robin's. Wooden boards covered the dead earth, thick and surprisingly gentle to the touch. Expensive drawers and dressers lined the walls, all shimmering from the gold they were lined with. A thick, flowery scent burned Robin's nostrils, a dry sneeze erupting from his nostrils.

"Sorry about the candles," Chrom said, leaning against the table that sat in the middle of the tent. He gave a heavy sigh, rubbing his face with both hands. "They're supposed to be 'stress relief' ones. Cordelia gave them to me yesterday. Thought it'd help."

Indeed, small blue candles were scattered about the small space. All glowed brightly in the dimly lit tent. The flames reminded Robin of fireflies.

Robin looked to the much younger prince. A hand still clutched the aching spot in his back that Nowi decided to inflict on him earlier. Something about Chrom's eyes haunted the man. They were dark; full of emotions that Robin knew couldn't be wished away by some cheap candle one of his fangirls bought hoping to get in his pants.

"Chrom," Robin said, rubbing a hand through his graying hair. "Look, I'm sorry about Emmeryn."

"Don't you start," Chrom said, waving a hand, his gaze avoided Robin's, staring at the floor. "I just need you to help me kill Gangrel."

"Right," Robin slid out. His body went cold as the realization hit him. Chrom was going down a bad road. One that doesn't end with just the Mad King's head on a pike. A horrid familiarity struck him, poking his mind with one of those empty memories he woke up with. Events played in his mind, but they held no content. He could remember movements, occasionally a color, but in the end it was nothing but white noise in his mind.

"So," Chrom hissed, his voice overflowing with venom. "Any plans?" The soon-to-be-Exalt's gaze pierced into Robin, driving straight into his chest.

"I'd offer to let Gaius sneak in and slice his throat," Robin began, taking out his flask and taking a drink. After his swig, he held it out for the blue-haired royal, who snatched it from Robin's withered hands without a second thought. "But I guess you want it to be more personal."

Chrom took a long drink from the flask, his Adam's Apple rocking back and forth as he chugged the booze down. It wasn't until the small, metal container was completely empty that it returned to Robin.

"Good call," Chrom said, wiping his mouth. It was an extremely powerful whiskey, and he could already feel his head spin. "You have any strategies you're willing to offer?"

"Not just yet," Robin admitted, sucking his teeth at the empty flask. "Give me another day or so, and I should have one worked out."

"You have until tonight," Chrom ordered, turning his back to Robin, both hands on the table. "No more excuses."

"Killing a king is harder than just throwing troops at him," Robin argued, a scowl growing on his face. He put the flask back into his cloak, hands shaking lightly. "Be patient and let me work."

"What did you say to me?" Chrom snapped to Robin, a sneer on his face. His hands were clenched into fists. His teeth were visible, glowing in the low light of the tent.

"I said that I'm gonna need a bit longer than by tonight," Robin said, not backing down. His hands shook all the more, tremors jittering his limbs. "It'll let you get your head together while you're waiting."

"I don't need to 'get my head together'!" Chrom barked, face red with anger and drunkenness. "Get out! I want you out of my tent this instant!"

"Fine" Robin spat, turning to the flap of the tent. His back still twinged, every step a struggle against his own body. The air around Chrom was toxic, cold, and a barrel of oil that was waiting for a spark. The older man sighed as he turned back to his friend, who still held himself against the table.

"Revenge doesn't solve anything," Robin said. Emptiness was in his voice. Every word was crushed by the silence around them. "It doesn't end. It follows you. Eats you alive. Pretty soon you won't even recognize the man in the mirror."

"Just leave me be," Chrom said, his voice breaking. The table groaned as Chrom tightened his grip, knuckles white.

Robin did as he was told, leaving the tent.

* * *

Hot air stole his breath. The sky was still bright and blue, not having been even ten minutes since he woke. A frown was heavy on his face, thoughts returning to Chrom and the confrontation they just had. Ice formed in his gut. Robin knew that the new Exalt would have to get over his sister's martyring of herself. He was getting reckless.

"Yo, Bubbles!" a certain ginger called to him.

Robin turned his vision to a man that had high enough blood sugar to put down several bears. His dark, light clothing had sweets and candies of all types lining it. Even the bandolier he had draped across his chest had lollipops running down it. His bright orange bowl-cut hair looked just as shiny as one of the pieces of candy he popped into his mouth as him and Robin spoke. The tactician recognized him as Gaius, the rogue he offered Chrom during their meeting.

"Blue still... blue?" Gaius said, sucking on a piece of hard candy. Everything about him had an air of casualness. He sweltered in the heat, wiping his brow every few seconds. Sweat spilled down onto the sand, sheets falling like a heavy rain.

"No," Robin answered, rubbing his eyes. Sand irritated his pupils, making him regret not wearing some kind of sash of around his head. "He's pissed off now, more than anything."

"That's to be expected, I guess," Gaius said, shrugging his shoulders. He stretched his arms out, joints popping as he shook off the fatigue he had from the morning. "What's your game plan?"

"Nothing right now," Robin admitted, still clutching his back. He tried to tough it out as best he could, but another sting made him double over.

"You okay?" Gaius asked, offering his shoulder to Robin. The elder waved his hand, shaking his head at the same time.

"I'm fine," Robin claimed. He limped as he tried to walk, biting his lip to deal with the pain. "Nowi just got too excited and made me slip a disk..."

"More back problems?" Gaius interrogated. He kept his gaze steady and hard on Robin. The purple-garbed man shrunk under the view, knowing what was next. "You should really think about staying-"

"No," Robin cut in, silencing Gaius. He met the ginger's eyes with his own, winning the silent battle. "I need to be out there with them."

"You won't help anybody if you're throwing your health under the carriage, Bubbles," Gaius argued, patting Robin on the shoulder. Every tap made the older man grit his teeth, proving the thief's point.

"There's something I have to do..." Robin said, forcing his voice past the pain. He slammed his eyes shut, a wave of burning pain nearly sending him to his knees. Lissa's tent was still a ways away.

"Right," Gaius said, forcing one of Robin's arms around his neck, lifting the old man up. "Where you heading to?"

"Lissa's," Robin answered, sucking his teeth as another spike drove into his spine. "I was gonna go there after I talked with Chrom."

"Alright."

* * *

A long, heavy sigh came from the lazy Manakete. She laid onto the dusty, sand covered earth, staring up at the sky. It took every inch of her willpower to not take a nap right there in the heat. It was so warm and cozy. And there was nothing to do...

" _Is he done with that stupid meeting thingy?_ " Nowi thought to herself, getting to her small feet.

She skipped her way through camp, smiling at all of the soldiers as she passed. She clutched her stone in her fist, never wanting to let it go. Her ears tickled as sand skidded past them. No chains, three full meals a day, no being forced to do tricks for mean people; the Shepherds were amazing!

" _If only I can get that boring old grandpa to smile once in a while..._ " Nowi sank into thought, finger on her chin as she tried to think of a plan to make that weird guy with the cloak happy. In the short time she's known the army, she's wormed her way into the hearts of most of them; excluding bunny lady and the drunk guy. But she knew Panne really liked her, she just wanted to hide it. Even after the rabbit-woman threatened to crush her skull with one of her paws if she kept asking her what the herbs around her tent all were. It wasn't her fault that she didn't know everything about plants and stuff. Half of them just looked like dirt and weeds.

Robin, on the other hand, remained her strongest foe. No matter what she did, he would blow her off to go ' _develop strategies_ ' or ' _get his back fixed_ '. He always had something wrong with his back. She didn't want to call him a liar, but it was really weird how often he'd say that he needed to see Lissa over 'a slipped disk'.

"Wait..." Nowi said out loud, realization on her youthful face. A wide, childish smile grew on her face as the truth exploded in her mind like a fireball. "Ah ha! That's how I'll see him happy!"

She just needed to get a few friends to help her...

* * *

 _A/N_

So, yeah. This is actually going to be a thing.

Things are bubbling in the background. Things here, things there. Things _**EVERY-FUCKING-WHERE!**_

 _ ***ahem***_

Sorry. Got too excited.

Until Next Time!


	3. Chapter 3

Nowi slid through the tents and soldiers like a cat. Her tiny form flowed through the crowded camp like water, mind flooded with details on her brewing plot. Those large, childish eyes darted around, desperate to find the ones she could talk into helping her. She would also need to pick a few things up from that one guy with the long hair and the bow and arrow, the one that got kicked in the face by Sully the week before, and herbs from Panne. But the biggest hurdle would be Lon'Qu...

" _He'd get it, right?_ " Nowi questioned herself.

Nowi was sure her plan would work. All she needed was one night to get Grouchy McStupidBreath to smile, then they could all have a big feast to celebrate! It would all end just fine. Maybe she could throw a few fireballs when they were all done? That sounded like fun.

" _Focus!_ " Nowi snipped, forcing her thoughts back on track.

Nowi saw the first of her destinations, Miriel's tent. Though, with the lack of personalization, it blended completely with the mass of plain, empty tents that surrounded it. In fact, the only way Nowi knew it was her tent was the fact that it had a small, paper note pinned to the flap.

" _Miriel's Tent. Please do not encroach without a purpose._ "

"Step one," Nowi listed off, raising a finger to the air. "Talk to the boring lady."

* * *

"Ah!"

The tent was pungent with the stench of copper.

"Ah!"

Men groaned and cried, wrapped up in bandages. Blood stained the grass as the severely wounded writhed on the ground. Healers gave them whatever medical supplies they had. Pain killing powder (a favorite amongst the doctors), disinfectants, healing staff treatments, and, in Robin's case, massage treatments...

"I KEEP SAYING 'AH'!" Robin hollered, a painful twinge shooting up his spine. The older man wore a scowl as Lissa, the young blonde in charge of his treatment, crossed her arms over her chest.

"Oh, quit being such a baby," Lissa said, uncrossing her arms and resuming her massage. Her focused her hands on Robin's lower back, near his hip. The muscles were tense, and unwilling to loosen at her motions. She put more force into her hands, pushing onto his back to reset the disk. "If-ah!-you-ah!-could die-ah!-of-ah!-back problems-" a pop vibrated through Robin's body, his limbs going numb, "-then I'm sure you'd have been in the ground months ago."

"Piss off," Robin groaned, his own withered hands rubbing the spot on his back Lissa fixed. Relief made him give a long, healthy sigh. "You do work wonders though..."

""Well, I do my best," Lissa said, rising from her knees. She wiped the dirt from her yellow dress, mysteriously not stained in mud, blood, or any other fluid the medical tent was known for. "How's my brother, though?"

Robin flipped over onto his freshly healed back, catching Lissa's worried gaze. Her face reminded him of a sad puppy. He breathed in slowly, holding it in for several seconds before releasing it slowly.

"He's... uh..." Robin stopped, unable to find the words. He stared up into the princess' face, trying to find a way to weasel out of the conversation. "He's upset."

" **Upset** upset?" Lissa asked, that same look on her face. Her brow furrowed, hand on her chin. The pungent stench of disinfectants burned her nostrils, stinging her eyes. Tears threatened to spill over, but she found some way to hold her composure.

"The type of upset that makes me want to sleep with my sword tonight," Robin admitted. He rubbed his face with his hands, feeling shakes in his withered paws. Sand filled his throat, tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth.

"Did you try to talk through to him?" Lissa asked, rubbing her temples. Her wedding ring rubbed her skin raw, stinging her finger. She didn't have the heart to tell Lon'qu that he bought a ring two sizes too small. Not when he all but forced himself into the shop to begin with, having mostly female employees.

"Tried, yes," Robin said, rising up slowly. Groans echoed through the tent as Robin stretched. "Unfortunately, I made it worse. We should give him another day or two."

"We've been 'giving him a day or two' for the last month," Lissa snipped, turning to the tent flap. The light from the sun warmed her face, her bright eyes shut. "I think we need to intervene at some point before this becomes a problem."

"Should I get Sumia to talk to him?" Robin offered, curling his exposed toes in the dead grass. Sand dug underneath his toenails.

"If you can talk her into it," Lissa said, turning away from the sun. She stepped back further into the tent, approaching Robin once again. "She's been begging me to tell her how he's been ever since-"

"Stop," Robin said, raising a hand while the other rubbed his face. "I know how this road goes. You say her name, get upset, then spend the rest of the day moping around. Don't wanna hear it."

"Right," Lissa said, waiting for Robin to turn his head to crack his neck before she stuck out her tongue.

"I saw that," Robin said, snapping his gaze to Lissa. Her face went pale, immaturity revealed in its fullest. A blush tinted her face as the older man retrieved his cloak from the dead earth, wrapping himself in the purple cloth. "You gonna act like that to your kids?"

"Your not my dad..." Lissa grumbled, red as a beet. A deep pout was on her face, looking like a five year old denied her candy. A smile slowly grew on her face, giggles slipping through her lips. She clasped her mouth shut with her right hand, the left clutching the edges of her dress in desperation to hold back the laughs.

"What's with the...?" Robin trailed off, watching the blonde in confusion. "Why are you laughing?"

"Because you made that face!" Lissa proclaimed, losing control and laughing like a madwoman at the old man. "The face you always make when ever I pranked you!" She doubled over herself as her spree continued. Robin only watched, trying to understand what she meant by 'face'. Did he make a face?

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Robin said, walking towards the tent flap, lifting it and getting a face full of sunlight.

"You're leaving already?" Lissa asked, giggles still escaping her pink lips. Robin looked back to her, then back to the outside.

"Yeah," Robin said. He held a hand up to shield his eyes from the sun. The heat made him sweat like a pig. His purple cloak stuck to his skin, peeling from his flesh. "I have something else I gotta do today."

"Really?" Lissa asked, keeping Robin from leaving. "What else was there for you?"

Robin stood in silence, turning back to the blonde. His gaze was cold, terrifying, and made Lissa regret every word she said. Those once warm, albeit rude on occasion, eyes sent chills down Lissa's back. Robin stood as still as a statue, hand wrapped around the flap of the tent and tearing the fabric.

"It's a..." Robin trailed off, his eyes lowering to the sandy-earth. "Personal project."

Lissa was silent, detecting the half truth. Her natural instincts told her to push forward on the subject, but a sickening feeling in her gut was telling her to back off. A storm brewed in her skull as the two sides clashed. Curiosity fought with self-preservation. Worry for herself drowned in worry for her friend. Robin turned his back to her, getting ready to leave.

"You're not gonna just drink, right?" Lissa spat out suddenly, her eyes going wide at what she said.

Robin turned back to her.

"No," he said. Shaking his head.

* * *

"No," Miriel said, looking down at Nowi, who slammed her tiny foot in the sand in protest.

"Why not!?" Nowi protested, waving her arms in the air. She kept her purple eyes on the red-headed mage, waiting for an explanation.

The tent they stood in was filled with text books of all sizes, types, and subjects. They started from the floor up to the top of the tent, pushing against the fabric. It stunk of ink, musty paper, and mold from some of the older editions piled somewhere in the mobile library of a living space.

"Simple," Miriel began, pushing her glasses further up her nose, "shape-shifting potions are incredibly dangerous, and your strategy is maddening."

"But how else is my super awesome plan gonna work?" Nowi whined, stamping her feet once again. She knew that the boring lady was going to be a problem. If need be, she could talk Gaius into swiping what she needed for her, but she wanted to avoid doing that. Miriel would be upset if stuff went missing from her tent.

"Your 'plan' is cruel, irresponsible, and I shall have no part in it," Miriel said, rising from her mahogany chair. Every word stung like a snake bite, making Nowi want to cry.

"But Robin-!" Nowi started.

"Shall secure his own way to find self-acceptance," Miriel said. She waved her hands at Nowi, ushering her way out of the tent. "Your manipulation of his emotions will only deepen the scars he holds."

"Even if its only for one night...?" Nowi asked in desperation, like a child searching for any reason to keep the puppy she found.

"There are consequences for every action," Miriel explained, those sharp eyes digging into the Manakete. "For a creature with a life-span well beyond a millennium, I am shocked that I must explain this to you." She looked back to her book for half a second before the sound of clinking glass made her shoot her gaze back to where the girl was standing.

"Okay," Nowi said, a bright smile on her face as she shoved a glass vial into her pocket, "I'm gonna be perfectly honest, I don't really understand half of the things you say. So I'm gonna take the shape-shift thingy, because I assume you're on board with it, and I'm gonna leave. Bye, Miriel!"

Before the red-headed witch had a single second to react, the Manakete was long gone, only dust and green hairs left behind.

"How did she even know where the potions were held...?" Miriel said in shock, running about her tent in search of her supplies. "Oh... I am going to have to repair quite a horrid mess by the end of this..."

Nowi skipped her way past Miriel's tent, securing the first item on her list. Her master plan was slowly coming together. It wouldn't be long before she can see the mean old grandpa smile.

" _Step one, complete!_ "

* * *

Robin sat in his tent, chugging a wine bottle like a man trapped in the desert to an oasis. Thoughts flooded his mind as memories pushed their way to the front of the pack. Memories of the Shepherds, his new family. Memories of battle, of good times, of bad times, of... that one memory that always came to the forefront of his thoughts.

The biggest memory came from just a few months prior. During the assassination attempt against the, then still-alive, Exalt Emmeryn. Nothing stuck out too much about the whole mess. A few thugs were hired to go in and kill her. They wiped them out without so much as a scratch. But their leader... Validar, was the name...

He was a younger man, facial hair just starting to grow on his face. His skin was dark, almost tinted purple. The same went for his cloak. It seemed so familiar, but his mind had a gaping hole. Nothing made sense. Especially what he said when Robin killed him.

Even with the sword in his gut, blood filling his mouth and spilling from those snake-like lips, tears dotting in his eyes, he said something... _called out_ to someone... That look of betrayal in those haunting eyes was sobering to Robin, even though he had seen that look in so many others. Why was he special? Who did he call out to?

Him...?

"Father..." Robin said, staring into a mental abyss. "He called me... _father_..."

* * *

 _A/N_

Holy shit, did my schedule get buttfucked by life. Work, friends, Super Bowl Parties (even though I hate football), and helping my brother and his girlfriend.

I barely had any time to write out any of the requests I got for another story I'm doing (it's a Persona 4 thing, so you guys might not be interested, unless you're a cool kid).

Hopefully, my luck turns around the next few days, and I can get a full night's sleep without getting a crick in my neck by the end of it.

Until Next Time!


End file.
